Written question WQ97681
- Asked by
- Rhys ab OwenIndependent
- To be answered by
- Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 7 days
Question
What steps is the Welsh Government taking to ensure the Short Breaks Scheme and Carers Support Fund is consistent across the whole of Wales?
Answer
Answered by Minister for Children and Social Care
The Short Breaks Scheme and Carers Support Fund provide essential support for unpaid carers in Wales. I was pleased to announce an additional £15.75 million investment on 5 November to extend both schemes until March 2029.
Carers Trust Wales acts as the national coordinating body for Short Breaks and manages £2.2m of the £3.5m annual funding. The remainder of the funding is provided to Regional Partnership Boards. Carers Trust Wales manages the Carers Support Fund on our behalf.
Both schemes operate across all local authority areas. Delivery is primarily through local and national organisations that understand their communities and tailor support accordingly. Carers Trust Wales monitors their delivery partners quarterly to ensure that short breaks and financial support reach those most in need, with specific targets for carers from traditionally underserved groups.
Regional Partnership Boards provide monitoring reports for Welsh Government every six months on their use of funding for the Short Breaks Scheme. Guidance has been issued to Regional Partnership Boards and local delivery groups to drive consistency of approach across regions.
Delivery partners ensure awareness of both schemes by promotion through carers’ centres, family support hubs, memory clinics, schools, and community networks. Information is also available on the Carers Trust Wales website and through local authority websites. Almost half of carers accessing a short break or a grant from the Carers Support Fund last year were previously unknown to services. This demonstrates that both schemes are successfully being promoted to carers who are not already receiving support, and the added value of the schemes in providing a gateway to other forms of information and assistance.
Reviews of the Short Breaks scheme have ensured that funds are directed to geographical areas where there has been lower take up previously and to underrepresented groups.
The Carers Support Fund operates through 21 delivery partners and has uniform eligibility criteria across Wales. An impact measurement framework is in place to track outcomes effectively.